Calculating speed and travel times with travel delays

• US 9,117,190 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Davidson, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, LUAT T
• Application Number:
  US13/940,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 701/99, 701/1, 701/527, 701/119, 701/424, 340/438, 340/439, 340/990, 340/993, 340/907
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0112 from the vehicle, e.g. floating car data [FCD]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0129 for creating historical data or processing based on historical data
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/202 Dispatching vehicles on the basis of a location, e.g. taxi dispatching

Abstract

Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for forecasting travel delays corresponding to streets, street segments, geographic areas, geofenced areas, and/or user-specified criteria. And from the forecasted travel delays, speed and travel times that take into account such travel delays can be determined.

Claims

1. A method for determining an average speed, the method comprising:

receiving, via one or more processors, operational data comprising vehicle telematics data, the vehicle telematics data (a) being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for a vehicle during one or more time periods, (b) collected by a telematics device affixed to the vehicle, and (c) downloaded by a remote computing device;

determining, via the one or more processors, a distance traveled by the vehicle within a geographical area during the one or more time periods;

identifying, via the one or more processors, one or more travel delay segments during the one or more time periods;

determining, via the one or more processors, a duration of the identified travel delay segments;

determining, via the one or more processors, based on the distance traveled and the duration of the travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance within the geographical area;

identifying, via the one or more processors, time information associated with traveling from a first location to a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are within the geographical area;

identifying, via the one or more processors, distance information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location;

identifying, via the one or more processors, travel delay information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location; and

determining, via the one or more processors, an average speed for traveling from the first location to the second location based at least in part on the time information, the distance information, and the travel delay information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel delay information comprises a value indicative of an average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance associated with at least one of the first location or the second location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while the vehicle was traveling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel delay segments are identified by:

segmenting the operational data into a plurality of activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity, the activity segments comprising start of trip segments, travel segments, and end of trip segments; and

identifying, based on the operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of the travel segments and designating the identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.

7. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive operational data comprising vehicle telematics data, the vehicle telematics data (a) being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for a vehicle during one or more time periods, (b) collected by a telematics device affixed to the vehicle, and (c) downloaded by a remote computing device;

determine a distance traveled by the vehicle within a geographical area during the one or more time periods;

identify one or more travel delay segments during the one or more time periods;

determine a duration of the identified travel delay segments;

determine based on the distance traveled and the duration of the travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance within the geographical area;

identify time information associated with traveling from a first location to a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are within the geographical area;

identify distance information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location;

identify travel delay information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location; and

determine an average speed for traveling from the first location to the second location based at least in part on the time information, the distance information, and the travel delay information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the travel delay information comprises a value indicative of an average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance associated with at least one of the first location or the second location.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while the vehicle was traveling.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the travel delay segments are identified by the apparatus by:

segmenting the operational data into a plurality of activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity, the activity segments comprising start of trip segments, travel segments, and end of trip segments; and

identifying, based on the operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of the travel segments and designating the identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.

13. A computer program product for determining an average speed, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive operational data comprising vehicle telematics data, the vehicle telematics data (a) being indicative of one or more vehicle dynamics for a vehicle during one or more time periods, (b) collected by a telematics device affixed to the vehicle, and (c) downloaded by a remote computing device;

an executable portion configured to determine a distance traveled by the vehicle within a geographical area during the one or more time periods;

an executable portion configured to identify one or more travel delay segments during the one or more time periods;

an executable portion configured to determine a duration of the identified travel delay segments;

an executable portion configured to determine based on the distance traveled and the duration of the travel delay segments, a value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance within the geographical area;

an executable portion configured to identify time information associated with traveling from a first location to a second location, wherein the first location and the second location are within the geographical area;

an executable portion configured to identify distance information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location;

an executable portion configured to identify travel delay information associated with traveling from the first location to the second location; and

an executable portion configured to determine an average speed for traveling from the first location to the second location based at least in part on the time information, the distance information, and the travel delay information.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the travel delay information comprises a value indicative of an average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance associated with at least one of the first location or the second location.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the travel delay segments each represent a period of engine idle time occurring while the vehicle was traveling.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a travel delay seconds per mile traveled value.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the value indicative of the average amount of travel delay time per unit of distance comprises a miles traveled per travel delay minute value.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the travel delay segments are identified by the computer program product by:

segmenting the operational data into a plurality of activity segments representing periods of time classified according to vehicle activity or service activity, the activity segments comprising start of trip segments, travel segments, and end of trip segments; and

identifying, based on the operational data, segments of engine idle time occurring during one of the travel segments and designating the identified engine idle segments as travel delay segments.